CAMPUS REPORT

DATE:       March 19, 2001 

TO:            Board of Regents

FROM:      Terry Hetrick

                    President, Dawson Community College

RE:            Campus Report for the March 22-23, 2001 Board of Regents’ Meeting

·        Dawson Community College’s request for a major substantive change was approved by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.  This change allows DCC to join North Central accredited colleges in offering courses and degree programs via the Internet as CCCOnline.  DCC will offer two degree programs via this distance learning modality, the A.A. degree and an A.A.S. degree in Business. 

·        On January 9, DCC hosted a “Career Connections Fair” that attracted 320 students from 15 local high schools.  This activity focused on careers that require two years or less of formal higher education.  Professionals from more than 30 career fields made presentations to attending students. 

·        During the months of January and February, DCC hosted “Pay Dirt,” a display of the mining camp art of Muriel Sibell Wolle.  Historic photographs depicting the mining towns of Monana accompany Wolle’s mixed media artworks.  The display is a traveling exhibit of the Montana Historical Society and is free to the public. 

·        On January 25, the college hosted the annual Weed Seminar for eastern Montana farmers and ranchers.  This day-long program was jointly coordinated by Jim Sparks, Dawson County Weed Supervisor, and Tom Ree, DCC Agriculture instructor.  This annual event attracted several hundred participants. 

·        DCC women’s fast pitch softball coach, Bill LaFond, has been selected by World Class Sports to coach a team of 16-19 year old softball players to represent Montana in a tournament held in Hawaii this summer.  Teams from Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Wyoming will participate. 

·        At the present time, the DCC Board of Trustees is looking into the construction of new athletic facilities including a rodeo arena/ag facility, softball/baseball fields, and a gymnasium.  Since the inception of its intercollegiate athletic programs, the college has either leased or shared facilities with other organizations.  Over the past several years, undesirable changes in such arrangements have necessitated this study.  Plans for a rodeo arena/ag facility and a softball field are currently under development by architectural firms.